Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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266. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to issues raised regarding a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11; the steps her Department is taking to address these issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45253/23]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.

For 2023, the spend by my department on special education has been substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education. Further progress has been made in Budget 2024 where 26% of my department’s budget will be dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs, representing a 5% increase on Budget 2023.

This includes funding to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs) and funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).

In 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 SNAs and in 2024 a further 744 teachers, and 1,126 SNAs will be added to deliver up to 2,700 new places for children with special educational needs.

This will mean there will be close to 20,000 teachers and over 21,000 SNAs working in the area of special education. Together we will have over 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.

The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews.

In relation to the teacher supply issues raised by the school referred to by the Deputy, the Department is undertaking a comprehensive programme to support the supply of primary and post-primary teachers. The teacher supply measures include:

-Primary substitute teacher supply panels will continue to operate in 2023/24.

-Post primary teachers can provide up to 35 additional hours substitute cover per term in the subject they are qualified to teach.

-Job-sharing teachers may be employed to work as substitutes during the period they are rostered off duty and the limits on substitute work applying to teachers on career break have been suspended.

-3rd year undergraduate teachers are eligible to apply for registration with the Teaching Council under registration Route 5 (Student Teachers). The registration process for student teachers is due to commence in October. More than 2,700 student teachers were registered under Route 5 last year.

-A waiver of abatement for retired teachers returning to teach for up to 50 days in each of the three calendar years 2021 to 2023 inclusive has been agreed with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP and Reform.

-Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) who qualify outside Ireland and apply before 1 February 2024 will continue to be able to complete induction (Droichead) in Ireland. This measure seeks to enhance the supply of NQTs available to schools and is particularly relevant for Irish teachers who have studied and qualified abroad and who may wish to return to the Irish education sector.

-Following from the Department’s Action Plan on Teacher Supply, the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) operates a portal for the recruitment of teachers to long-term teaching positions. The portal facilitates the matching of demand and supply and provides an efficient and user-friendly recruitment process for both schools and teachers, including teachers working abroad who wish to apply for posts here.

-Turas Abhaile is an initiative of the post-primary school management bodies and the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) which has assisted teachers based abroad to return teach in Ireland since September 2019. Turas Abhaile matches available post primary teachers with specific vacancies.

-At primary level, 610 additional places have been approved on initial teacher education programmes over the next two academic years (2023/24 and 2024/25).

-At post-primary level, the Department has increased the number of places on teacher upskilling programmes in mathematics, Spanish and physics. The programmes are delivered outside of class time and are offered at no cost to the teacher. Approximately 170 places were provided in the first intake across the three programmes with an increase in places to over 300 in 2023. A new programme to upskill teachers in Irish is planned for 2024 and the Department is also considering additional upskilling programmes in other priority subject areas.

-The Teaching Transforms campaign continues to promote the teaching profession and encourage students to follow a career in teaching. The campaign uses digital, radio and video media, and is supported by a dedicated webpage,www.gov.ie/teachingtransforms.

Budget 2024 also provides funding to support applicants undertaking the professional masters in education programme.

In relation to the school accommodation issues raised, I wish to confirm that a major capital project to develop a 16 classroom school with accommodation for pupils with special education needs is included in my department’s school building programme. The project is at stage 1 of the architectural planning process and my department is currently engaging with the school authority regarding the accommodation brief.

I want to assure you also that my department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Details of this year’s Summer Programme were announced by the Department on 9 February 2023. Again, all schools had an opportunity to run a programme for those children that needed it the most.

The central theme for this year’s programme was ‘Building Confidence and Connections’. The primary aim of this theme is to help our children and young people to realise their potential, to be resilient in dealing with the normal stresses of their lives, to take care of their physical wellbeing and to have a sense of purpose, connection and belonging to their school community.

The main priority in 2023 was that those children with the most complex special educational needs, especially in special schools, should have access to a school-based summer programme.

The terms and conditions for the 2023 Summer Programme were implemented following a comprehensive review and extensive engagement with education partners and stakeholders, including the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Autism. The Department also engaged with management bodies, schools and parents with a view to encouraging more schools to participate in the 2023 programme.

This year’s school based programme was open to pupils enrolled in special schools, special classes, pupils who have complex special educational needs in mainstream classes and those who are most at risk of educational disadvantage.

Children who were entering primary school in September 2023 and who met the above criteria were also eligible for the programme.

In 2023, a pilot scheme specifically for special schools was introduced. The Special School Pilot Programme recognised the complexities of organising a summer programme in special school environments and was designed to ensure supports were targeted. These targeted measures included a higher level of capitation to cover the running costs of the scheme whilst additional grant funding was provided in order to mitigate against their unique circumstances that arise during the summer months.

As part of the pilot, the length of the core day was also reduced from the full school day to 10 am – 2 pm in special schools only. This again recognised the challenges associated with running the programme in a special school, particularly the logistical and practical concerns that would not be present in mainstream schools to the same extent, such as break time routines and transport concerns.

In relation to primary mainstream schools, a new Scheme under the Summer Programme was also introduced. This Primary Mainstream School Scheme replaced the Inclusion and Special Class programmes of previous years and it allowed for a more cohesive and inclusive approach. It was still open to schools to offer places to pupils enrolled in special classes, pupils who have complex special educational needs in mainstream classes and those who are most at risk of educational disadvantage.

To further support the inclusive approach of this scheme, primary mainstream schools were given more options in relation to numbers of groups that they could provide a programme for. Previously, there were defined allocations in relation to the number of groups that schools could run a programme for, based on the size of a school. This approach was now more reflective of meeting the individual needs of a school and the children who were eligible to take part. As part of this inclusive approach, there was no change to the hours in the school day when running the Primary Mainstream Scheme.